Romula
Romula, which official nickname is Pride of Istalia (Istalian: Orgoglio d'Istalia), is the capital and largest city of Istalia. It also serves as regional capital of Mezzodiurno. With 13,159,678 residents it is the country's largest and most populated city. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the Sarrentina Peninsula, within the otherwise rural Mezzodiurno, along the shores of the Sala river, in the middle of the great Sala's river valley at the foot of the northern foothills of the Southern Plateau, in the site where once stood the ancient mighty city of Qolshamih. Romula can boast a great archeological as well as artistic testimoniances of its long history which spans more than 5000 years making it one of the most ancient city of Terra. It hosts the highest italians institutions and its the most important economic center of the Country together with Milona. Etymology The city took its name after a fortress founded by Giuliano Barbato Romul, a great general of the southern kingdom of Fidelia and who is known for its great victories which blocked for decades the quanzarian to invade furthermore the peninsula. The fortress was known as Fortezza di Romul but quickly was called La Romulana (The Romulan) and which in the years the little people of the city arised around the fortress started to call with the current name. For century Romula was only an informal name given the fact that the Quanzar Emirs, in their long lasting attempt to undermine the istalian heritage, forced the use of another name, Colsamia, deriving from the ancient name of the site, Qolshamih. Only after an agreement with the Hosian Patriarchy of Quanzar the name was authorized and officialized, a gesture also aimed to defuse high tensions with the istalian population at the beginning of 19th century. =History= '' See also: History of Istalia'' Ancient and early medieval history Romula is the modern-day city occupying the site of the ancient city of Qolshamih, according to the mythical tradition founded in 1832 BCE. As center of the homonymous ancient civilization, the city became the largest of the Sarrentina Peninsula and among the largest of Majatra and during its long millennia of history it was enriched with numerous artistic and architectural testimoniances of the civilizations that were to come. However, since the first century CE the city experienced a slow decline, losing partially its role of main center of the Peninsula. Under the Augustan domination the city experienced a brief recovery, due to the fact that the Augustans privileged the site where was founded the first hosian church in Italia, the nowday Archbasilica of St. Matthias the Baptist to the Walls. But with the chaos which followed the retiring of the Augustan troops and the many wars between warlords and princes of the Peninsula, the city fall definitively and became almost deserted. Late medieval period After it was almost totally abandoned, most part of the site fallen in ruin, and the city became an anonimous country town known as Colsamia, however always controlled by fortress and other military structures due to the strategic position on the main ford along the Sala river. With the increasing power of Fidelia in 11st century, the city became again an important trade center while the Basilica of St. Matthias houses a monastic orders which make the city a medieval cultural center. With the arrivals of the Majatran armies of the Ahmadi Caliphate in 13rd century the city, like the rest of the Peninsula passed under the control of Ahmadi Bramenians and Majatrans vassals of the Caliph. The local Ahmadi rulers, impressed by the monumental remains of the city, began to use the site as their burial place, enriching the outskirt and the countryside with many mausoleum. When the Caliphate began to fall and the italians principalities start the rebelion against the local Ahmadi vassal, they immediately retook the control of the city due its strategic role as well as important center for the italian hosiansim. During this period the southern Kingdom of Fidelia once again emerged as leading power in Istalia and to assure its control on the area in 1472 it built a fortress just outside the ancient site and then appeared a fortified city which took its name from the first Duke of the Duchy that arose around, Giuliano Barbato Romul, famous great general of the Kingdom of Fidelia. During the years of the clashes against the Ahmadi Caliphate, the city become a symbol of the istalian people. The Quanzar Empire In the 17th century the Kings of Fidelia began large construction projects in Romula hoping to move here the Capital: in fact, Fidelia at the time reached to extend its influence on most part of the peninsula and its kings hoped to create an unified kingdom on the peninsula. The arrival of the Quanzar invasor, however, put an end to the dream. The Quanzar, as said, reprimed the use of the name "Romula" and indeed they transfered many institutions houses in Romula in other cities. The city however remained one of the most turbolent for the Quanzar Emirs which during the decades were forced to grant many concesions to the citizenships, also the mentioned authorization to officialy call the city with its veritable name. When the Emirs moved in Istalia their court at the fall of the Empire, the Romulans suffered a severe punishment for its attempt to unleash a revolution, like in Solentia and Kalopia. The city and their leaders, however, indeed increased their role of main anti-quanzari center of the Peninsula. Among the most notable events the uprising during the conquest of the Kingdom of Istalia (located on Alaria): Romula rise up against the quanzarian led by the Istalian Arch-Bishop but the fall of the Kingodom marked the end of the rebellion, hardly crushed by the Emirate. The Emirate imposed to the Arch-Bishop, local representative of the Patriarch of Istalia and Solentia, to left the Basilica and to move in Verunia where he zould be well controled and influenced by the Emir. After few years however thanks to intervence of the Theognosian Church the Arch-Bishop returned in Romula while the Emirate agreed with the Patriarchate to recognize to the Patriarch the religion authority also on the quanzarian hosians, assuring to the city the status of religious protected site. Modern and recent history After the fall of the Emirate caused by the revolution of 2110, the new state, the Union of Quanzari Soviets, decided to move the capital from the political center of the Emirate. Romula, however, for the Union leadership was too much "istalian" and aimed to replace the ethnic division with the unifing socialist ideology, they decide to left in the city the seat of the Supreme Soviet, the Union's Parliament, while as official capital and seat of the Head of the State and of the diplomatic representatives was chosen Nicomopolis, the name given by the past regime to Calliari, ancient seat of the Istalian Kingdom, renamed after the at the time considered pre-istalian name of the southern region of Alaria. After the definitive seize of the power of the istalians and the foundation of the Quanzarian Republic, finally Romula arose to the role that for centuries the istalians tried to give it: the definitive and ethernal capital of Istalia, becoming under the next millennia the largest and most populed city of the Country, its political as well as cultural and spiritual center. Romula was also the seat of the Hessexian Monarchy under all the Quanzarian restorationists' ruling periods but with the luthorianized name of Haxons. Since the end of 41th century, Romula increased its role as global metropoly becoming one of the most important financial and political capitals of Terra. =Administration= Government Main article: Mayor of Romula The local form of government of the city follow the model of the mayor–council government system, with a mayor (Istalian: sindaco) elected by voters, and a unicameral council as the legislative branch (Istalian: Consiglio). To the mayor is given almost total administrative authority and a clear, wide range of political independence, with the power to appoint and dismiss department heads and furthermore he prepares and administers the city budget, although most part of the decisions must be approved by the council. Romula City Council Administrative Divisions The municipality of Romula occupies an area of 1.292 km² while the quite diffused and low density metropolitan area covers 2.321 km². The municipality's territory is divided in 43 districts of which 26 are called Rioni while the rest are called Municipi. The first term derives from the ancient Selucian Regio (Luthorian: Region) and is an ancient term used often for the administrative divisions of many medieval Istalian cities. The term Municipio instead, is the Istalian translation of the Luthorian term municipality. A Municipio usually is used to indicate the territory of every city or town in Istalia (and is colloquially used to refer to the city hall), but in Romula they indicate the sub-divisions of the city area. 'Sub-divisions Government' Each Rione and Municipio have its sub-government which manage the affairs of each sub-division of Romula. These sub-government are organized almost like the city government but each sub-head of executive has less powers while the district council is the veritable decision-maker. 'Rioni' There are 26 Rioni in Romula, indicated with the Selucian numerals (I, II, III, IV...) and a traditional name (not reported on the map) and actually they cover all the historical city center. The Rioni are: 'Municipi' The Municipi, instead, are 17 and unlike the Rioni, they have not a name but they are identified with an alphanumeric code formed by an "M" (M from "Municipio") and by a number, this form: M1, M2, M3.... They are the districts which arose beyond the historical city center in the modern era and recent times. Despite officially they are officially refered as Municipio 1, Municipio 2 and so on, the city population has given unofficial names to each one. =City Holiday= The official city holiday of Romula is 8 August, date adopted in 2251 by the at the time city council and chosen because it's the traditional date of foundation of the Romulan Fortress by part of Giuliano Barbato Romul. =Notable places= Romula is probably the Istalian city which can boast the most important artistic, cultural and architectural testimoniances of the long history of the peninsula. This make Romula one of the most visited sites of Istalia. Among the most relevant and interesting places there are the ruins of the ancient Qolshamih, the forts and walls that surrounded the medieval city (Fortress of Romula), the legacy of the ancient Ahmadi conquerors and therefore istalian palaces and artistic testimonies covering a time span of thousands of years. Archeological site of the Ancient Qolshamih It is a large archeological park in the historical center of Romula, which city center rose a little further to the west than the ancient city. The park offers countless remains of building and different structures of the ancient civilization which can show the evolution and the influences of the Qolshamin art during the centuries. Among the most interesting remains there are the ancient Palace of the Kings (in pure Qolshamin style), the Divine Citadel, an acropolis dedicated to the major gods on top of the highest hill of the ancient city, where the oldest temples and the one in selucian style arise side by side, and then the impressive remains of the selucian periods, like the four temple of gods of the Harvest and the great amphitheater of Alsemet the Great, one of the largest of all Majatra. The archeological site can boast a good degree of conservations due to the fact that the inner city was abbandoned around the first centuries of the hosian era and was flooded of sediments from the Sala, nomore controlled and canalized. The sparse remaining population finally moved some kilometers upriver to settle into a bend of the Sala offering major protections also from military attacks. When the Ahmadi invasors took the city, at the time reduced to a little town, most of the ancient remains lay under several sediment layers while those on the surface bacame quarries for construction materials to be reused in new building. Archbasilica of St. Matthias It's considered the oldest church founded in Istalia, by the first hosian noble in Istalia, Theophylact the Pious, lords of the land of the ancient Qolshamih, who offered to some hosian monks to establish an hosian church in the triclinium of its castle. It's considered the heart of the Istalian hosianism and hosts among the most important istalian hosian relics and boast the artistic testimoniancies of centuries. Very Impressive is the facade, rebuilt in 1604 on order of Deodato II, King of Fidelia. The Archbasilica rises in front of Quattroregni Palace, both of them facing the large twin squares of St. Matthias Square and Palace Square, actually a single large square divided in two by a public giardin and several sculptural groups with fountains and obelisks. Quattroregni Palace It's one of the best known buildings in Istalia and abroad, the veritable "face" of the Istalian Government (together with Antinori Palace). It's the seat of the President of the Republic where the most important decisions of the nation are taken. The Palace was commissioned by the King of Fidelia Deodato II, foreseeing a future transfer of the Royal court to Romula after the planned conquest of the peninsula. Deodato demanded to his architects and artists to create a sumptuous palace that was supposed to envy not only the other istalian lords and monarchs but also of the rest of Majatra. The Palace was built, a masterpiece of the Classical Baroque, but the conquering plans of Deodato, however, never came true, and the Palace was used as seat of the lords of the city during the following centuries. Often it was used by the monarchs of the istalian kingdoms to gather and organize the defense of the peninsula from the assaults of the Empire of Quanzar, which in that years started to expand all over eastern Majatra. Large areas of the Palace are currently used as a museum while the official representative rooms and private ones of the President of the Republic can be visited only a couple of times a month (and not totally). Royal Palace of Haxons It's the former official residence of the Kings of the Royal Union of Quanzar and of its Dynasty, the House of Hessex. The Palace reflects the ambition of the Hessexian Dynasty which as its own Royal Residence demanded not only an impressive but also a monumental masterpiece. It is one of the largest royal palaces built all over the world by floor area. The interior of the palace is notable for its wealth of art and the use of many types of fine materials in the construction and the decoration of its rooms. These include paintings and frescoes wich are among the best example of late baroque revival. Since 4325, after centuries of abandonment and degradation, it hosts the National Museum of Istalian History, the largest istalian museum which attracts each year millions of visitors. =Photo Gallery= Ancient Majatran Mausoleum.jpg|Ancient Majatran Mausoleum Romula Fortress.jpg|Part of the Romula Fortress Romula_New_Financial_Center.jpg|Business quartier of Romula with in the middle the PMI Media Tower Romula's Terran Global Financial Center.jpg|The Terran Global Financial Center of Romula Category:Cities Category:Istalia Category:Atlas of Terra Category:Capitol districts, cities and territories Category:Geography of Istalia